What New York Couples Fight About
by Himitsu Notebook
Summary: Even though Aoko cannot even remember what happened the previous morning she remembers him. He carved himself into her heart and no matter what she just won't forget him.
1. Once a label is on something

"Aoko! Aoko sweetie! Aoko can you hear me?"

Who was that? Did she recognize that voice? It seemed so familiar to her yet so far away. It was reaching out to her coaxing her out of the dark abyss. The voice evolved into the flesh colored silhouette of a man against bright white lights. Was this hospital?

"She's regained consciousness Inspector Nakamori." came a womans voice. She certainly didn't recognize it. This one wasn't accompanied by a silhouette. "Be careful, Her mind is still very fragile." The silhouette nodded. Slowly it began to slip into focus. A mustached middle aged man was stood above her, a mix of worry and relief on his face. She wasn't sure she knew him. She felt his shaking hands clasp hers.

"Aoko...! Thank goodness...." Aoko sat up swaying a little. She turned to the man and smiled.

"Who...are you?" The man froze, his hands felt like stone all of a sudden.

"Aoko! It's me...Inspector Nakamori! Your father!" His voice cracked like thin ice. Aoko pondered for a second, staring vacantly at the bright white sheets of her hospital bed. Oh yeah...Dad.

"Dad..." she chuckled slowly. "I remember...It's good to see you again" The man claiming to be her father eased up a little but was still very tense and stone like.

"Aoko...Dear...do you remember anything...?" Aoko thought back. Even to think back a second made her head pound as if it were going to split.

"Please sir..." A tall blonde nurse trotted onto the scene and placed a hand on the inspectors shoulder. "Aoko is suffering amnesia, please don't put to much strain on her mentally."

"Sorry."

Aoko stopped attempting to recollect her past and stared at her hands. Was it just her or had they gotten a little bigger? Her body had changed shape too. She had curves now. Aoko also noticed the absence of her beneath-shoulder length hair and upon inspection found it had been cut to beneath her ears. How old was she? What year was it? Where was...Kaito? Of course! The name Kaito had been wedged at the back of her mind ever since she began to regain consciousness. She just needed to pry it out. She remembered Kaito very well. The boy she had grown up with. The way he smiled and laughed, his obsession with KID...Where was he? When was the last time she saw him?

"Dad...?" His head shot up at the speed of light, his eyes full of hope.

"Yes dear?"

"Where's Kaito?" He looked happy but also awkward, as if this were a taboo subject.

"You don't remember?" Aoko shook her head, but it hurt as if her brain had come loose and was rattling around inside her skull.

"He moved to New York quite some time ago Aoko." For the first time he gained what seemed like a genuine emotional response from his amnesiac daughter. She looked truly crestfallen upon hearing this news.

"New York? Why?" Aoko whimpered, her breathing becoming a little heavier.

"It's probably best...Saved for later..." There was a long pause, as Aoko continued to stare completely mortified.

"Sir, visiting hours are over now." said the tall nurse, glancing at her watch. He smiled meekly at his daughter. "See you tomorrow Aoko."

The night was dark, Aoko lay wide awake on her hospital sheets. Whenever she closed her eyes she saw his face. When she tried to sleep she would toss and turn and then she'd wake up breathing heavily, drenched with sweat. The blonde nurse kept popping in and out of her ward throughout the night because apparently she was screaming in her sleep. Aoko had given up on trying to sleep. She had done so for long enough. She lay there staring up at the ceiling in a trauma, clasping the white sheets. They made her shiver as if they were made of snow. She thought back. Her and Keiko were walking through town, it was late at night, they were returning from a girly shopping trip or something of the sort. Aoko had stumbled into the road and the last thing she saw was a bright light, hurtling towards her. Then after what seemed like an eternal sleep she woke here. It was if she had been in suspended animation and the world had evolved and changed around her while she remained relatively still. Now the place she awoke hardly seemed like the same planet. The sheets of the bed that she clutched in her failed attempts to sleep were rough and made her skin sting. _Kaito....Kaito....Kaito... _The word relentlessly tortured her. No, She couldn't lie here. The heat was unbearable and the atmosphere made her want to throw up. She wanted to see Kaito. Aoko didn't care if that meant swimming all the way across the ocean to reach New York. She just couldn't lie here. She surveyed her surroundings. She couldn't just pack up and leave without a word. That would probably cause her poor father a heart attack. There was nothing for her to write a goodbye message on or with within eye shot. There was a cream white box of tissues by her bed. Aoko tore one from the cardboard and looked around for something to write with. No luck. She grimaced knowing it would come to this. She bit the bottom of her lip, closed her eyes and dug her nails hard into her palm, just enough to draw blood. A tear formed in her eye as she carried out her note written in red ink. With that, Aoko placed it on her sheets. Maybe blood was a little morbid but desperate times call for desperate measures and she was desperate. She wanted to see him.

Aoko tiptoed through the corridors. She had removed her slippers for increased stealth. But if she could begin her journey in a hospital gown she had doubts about. The blonde nurse was asleep at her desk, Aoko noticed, as she passed by her office. A spot of good luck. Then her next godsend came in the form of a jacket someone had left on a chair in the waiting room. She checked to see if the coast was clear, slipped it on and left, hospital gown and bare feet.

When she stepped outside Aoko began to regret this decision. She was stabbed by hail and an icy wind. Perhaps not the best time to be caught wearing nothing but a hospital gown and a jacket. Pushing her way through the weather Aoko sped away down the concrete alley going as fast as the pain and opposing wind would allow, tears streaming down her pale white face. She had come this far, now what? Was she just to keep running until she died of exhaustion? Aoko wished she had thought about this a little more before she up and left.

Aoko collapsed on the gravel behind a dustbin in the alleyway next to the club and let out a large sneeze. She saw young trendy people entering and exiting the club, boyfriends and girlfriends arms around each others waists, men in leather jackets perhaps hunting for a date, women who staggered around drunk laughing with their friends. Aoko called out continuously but she was never heard. She slumped down against the wall in the rain, her feet soaked with blood and wailed. She was freezing, hanging precariously on the cliff of consciousness ready to fall from it any minute. She let out another loud wail. No-one was looking. No-one heard, No-one looked, her vision became fuzzy. Then a hand was presented to her. Hanging onto her consciousness Aoko drearily lifted her head to see who it was. A tall blonde haired gentleman about the same age as her stared down at her, face crinkled with concern.

"Aoko? Aoko Nakamori?"

He knew her name? Perhaps she had met him before. She didn't know anymore. She just didn't know.

-+-+-+-+-

Aoko felt warm. She was obviously in a bed again. But this didn't feel like hospital. Aoko had always color coded situations and atmospheres ever since she was small. Like when she sat out in the gardens in the evening that was green and brown and gray. When she was in bed at night, that was dark navy. The hospital was some neon-gray-white to her. The color of this room was different though. An inviting yellow, red and brown. Like a study or a library in a high class estate owned by aristocrats. She pictured a warm room with a study desk and crimson and mahogany walls lined with books. It seemed so welcoming. Aoko rolled over and moaned. She wasn't sure whether to wake up or not. Then she felt a hand lovingly caressing her cheek and then sliding down onto her neck and her shoulder. She jumped slightly. Perhaps it was best she woke up. Aoko stretched her arms and yawned, the ceiling gradually coming into focus. A sort of mini chandelier hung above her. This was certainly cracking up to be the aristocrats establishment she had in mind. The hands failure to leave her shoulder was making her slightly uncomfortable.

"Are you OK? Aoko...?" Aoko flipped over in bed. A handsome man had sat beside her on a crimson cushioned highly polished dark wooden chair. His hair was blonde with a slight wave, his features very refined, his face thin. He was smiling at her as if recalling some wonderful childhood memory. "You had me very worried when you passed out." Aoko sat up, only to realize she was no longer wearing any clothes. Embarrassed, she lay straight back down again and pulled the duvet up to her neck. Had this man undressed her? He read her mind.

"Ah-ha, Yes apologies...." He hooked a hand around the back of his neck and laughed nervously, slightly red in the cheeks. "You were absolutely soaked. I was very careful." There was a long silence. Aoko sat up again, this time clutching the quilt to make sure.

"I'm sorry but...Have we met?" Aoko tilted her head on one side like a lost puppy. The blonde looked as if he didn't know how to react.

"You are...Aoko Nakamori...Aren't you?"

"Yes..."

"Oh my...You don't remember this face?"

Aoko shook her head. "Sorry, can't say I do."

"Oh...I heard you were in an accident recently."

"Recently?"

"A couple of weeks ago, yes." Aoko furrowed her brow. No, that didn't seem right. When she was hit by the truck she was only a teenager. She assumed she had been in a coma since then. Aoko averted her eyes from the man, still confused.

"I'm Hakuba." He extended a hand but drew it back again when Aoko didn't shake it. "We used to be friends a while back." Aoko glanced up at him slowly.

"Oh yes...Hakuba. The detective. I guess some of it's still in there..." She giggled. Hakuba smiled.

"Well, I should let you get some rest, You've got a slight fever." He rose from his chair.

"No wait!" Aoko begged, extending a hand. "Sleeping is the last thing I want to do. Hakuba-san...I...I'm confused. I can't remember anything..." Hakuba sat down again. "When I woke up the only thing I could remember was Kaito. But Dad says he's moved to New York..." Hakuba suddenly looked slightly saddened.

"Do you really not remember anything?"

"No, Nothing. Except names and faces." Hakuba let out a deep sigh.

"I think it's really best you rested now." He began to trudge to the door.

"NO WAIT!" Aoko lunged and grabbed his hand to stop him but accidentally let the duvet fall as she did so. Blushing, she quickly recollected it to cover herself. Hakuba had gone bright red. He stood looking down at her.

"Yes?"

"Um...I-I-I...that is...you could..." Aoko stammered. She let out a sigh. "Would you drive me to the airport tomorrow?"

"Airport? Why?"

"I have to go to New York." Hakuba's expression hardened.

"No, Absolutely not." he said in the manner of a disapproving father. "Out of the question."

"Bu--"

"Goodnight Aoko" The door slammed. Aoko sat, completely still and completely confused.


	2. It becomes an it

Aoko rotated in her bed and shielded her eyes from the bright light. Hakuba must of opened the curtains while she was sleeping. She smiled to herself and rolled over again. A tray rested on the table on the other side of her bed on which rested a steaming pot of tea and two croissants with individual pots of jam and butter and chocolate spread lined up around them. A note was propped up against the tea pot which Aoko reached over and opened.

_Dearest Aoko_

_I left you some breakfast._

_If I'm not here when you wake up, I am buying you some clothes._

_-Hakuba_

Aoko smiled and replaced the note, shuffling upright. The tea smelt delicious. She could kill for some right now. She tore into the croissant which she thickly layered with butter and jam and downed the tea in one without bothering to pour it into the cup. Hakuba was certainly a very sweet gentleman...But the only thing that puzzled her about him was his how adamant he was about not letting her go to New York. What could possibly be wrong with her seeing Kaito? And how badly she wanted to see him. She didn't really know why but there was something definitely nagging her, that nobody wanted to tell her the whole truth. Then she thought....Keiko. Maybe Keiko would tell her something. They had always been good friends. Wrapping the duvet around herself Aoko slid out of bed and over to the phone on the desk. She picked it up and dialed, pressing it to her ear, breathing heavily with anxiousness. There was a click. Aoko held her breath.

"Hello?"

"Hi....Is this Keiko Momoi...?"

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"It...umm...." Aoko paused for a second. "It's Aoko. Aoko Nakamori." The phone went dead. Aoko stood for a minute, utterly shocked that Keiko had just hung up on her. A large lump snaked it's way up her throat, born partially from confusion and partially from sadness that her friend would be so cold. Or maybe Keiko had just been cut off. Determined to find out, Aoko dialed again, and waited, chewing her nails as the phone let out it's monotonous hums.

"...Hello?" Keiko picked up.

"It's me again." There was a very long silence. Aoko wondered if she'd hung up again. Then she heard a loud sigh.

"Why the hell are you calling me Aoko?"

"I..." her voice cracked. "I'm confused..."

"What about?!" Keiko sounded impatient and irritated.

"Keiko! I don't know whats going on!" Aoko whimpered. This was obviously irritating Keiko even more.

"You're not making a lot of sense here!" Keiko bellowed down the phone. Aoko paused for a minute and let out a deep shaky breath.

"Keiko...I had an accident and....I've lost most of my memory. I just thought I'd call you because nobody I talk to will give me a damn straight answer!"

"Aoko, why me? We haven't spoken in 4 years! Oh, I suppose it's probably because no-one else will talk to you eh? Chased off all of your friends have you? The fact that you're calling me means you've really hit rock bottom." These words stabbed Aoko in the chest as they pounded out of the phone.

"Keiko....Wha-what do you mean?"

"Wait, You've really lost your memory?" There was a long pause. Aoko visualized Keiko with her mouth wide open running her hand down her face and then looking at the floor, still in disbelief, like people do. "Ho, shit!" Keiko exclaimed finally. Aoko nodded, her eyes tearful forgetting that she was on the phone. She blinked back the tears and cleared her throat.

"Ok, I woke up in hospital yesterday. My dad wouldn't tell me anything about what happened. I thought maybe I could go see Kaito and he would help but apparently he's moved to New York. I broke out of the hospital in the night and passed out on the streets and Hakuba-san found me so I'm at his house right now."

"You wanna go see _KAITO_? Kaito of all people?! You must be flipping joking! Are you nuts?"

"Why? Why can't I go see Kaito? I WANT TO SEE HIM DAMMIT!" Aoko demanded down the phone, stomping her foot with frustration.

"Oh hell no-ones stopping you from seeing him hon, but I don't think he wants to see you. Not after what happened." Aoko gasped. This might be it.

"What? What happened?"

"He wouldn't even be in New York if it weren't for you!"

"Keiko PLEASE TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED." There was another long pause...No....she didn't get cut off did she? Did Keiko hang up again?! Luckily her fears were put to rest when she heard Keiko chuckling on the other end of the phone.

"You broke his heart." Aoko froze. They were involved? Or maybe not...Perhaps she had fallen in love with someone else and broken his heart...Now she was coming to terms with the fact that a large portion of her memory ,which at first she had just assumed to be a coma, was missing.

"How did I break his heart?" Keiko chuckled again almost menacingly.

"Well, You know! This that and the other! Adolescence, hmm?"

"Wha--"

"You know it's been great chatting with you again you worthless bitch--"

"Kei--"

"But I have a hell of a lot of work to do, unlike YOU, so...Once again, Thanks a bunch for ruining my life, I should send you a congratulatory fruit basket! BYE!"

"WAI--" The phone went dead. Aoko slumped to the floor, her head floating into her hands and began to sob, her shoulders shivering as the tears splashed onto the duvet in front of her. The phone, hung by it's cord from the desk, swinging while all the while humming, failing to relent. Aoko fell face flat on the floor and slammed her fist against the carpeting in frustration. Every time she wanted answers they just gave her more questions! She could've written the epic novel of everything she was confused about right now! In her search for the truth she had only been presented with more and more doubt, more agony.

"Aoko?" She titled her head to one side. Hakuba was stood above her smiling. "Whats wrong."

"Nothing!" Aoko returned her face to the floor.

"I brought you some clothes." Aoko heard a plastic bag hit the floor beside her and Hakuba's hand ruffling her hair then the door closing. She sat up and tore hungrily into the bag desperate for real clothing. She was a little disturbed to see he had brought her some underwear...And it fit perfectly. An image of him measuring her bust with a tape measure while she was sleeping popped into her head making her giggle and shudder at the same time. Hakuba certainly had good taste. He knew what she liked. He had bought her a baby blue short sleeved body hugging t-shirt and a black school girl style skirt along with a loose fitted polo neck black sweater with a badge in the shape of cherries clipped to the neck. He had also bought her several changes of clothes just in case. Aoko was a little touched he went to so much effort for her. She slipped on the blue shirt over the baby pink bra he had also bought her and pulled up the skirt and then positioned herself in front of the full length mirror. Aoko twirled and smiled, did a couple of little dances, and then practiced saying "Hello, I'm Aoko Nakamori. Nice to meet you" while brandishing her pearl white teeth. While rummaging through the bag she noticed a very nice black and silver Chinese Cheongsam style top, which looked rather expensive. She was beginning to wonder about this Hakuba character. Right at the very bottom lay a small jewelery case containing two earrings with baby blue butterflies on them which made Aoko's heart melt. How thoughtful of him! She clicked them on and excitedly dashed downstairs to show Hakuba her gratitude.

His house was certainly a lot bigger than she had imagined. Everywhere smelt like wood polish and every carpet was and opulent golden gilded crimson, each wall of wooden panels, lined with paintings of sophisticated looking men or women,perhaps relatives or idols. There were more bookcases than you could imagine. Mostly detective books upon closer inspection but the whole house was a library. She found Hakuba sitting in front of an open fire, reading one of his novels. He looked up from the dusty pages as Aoko entered the room. He smiled.

"You look beautiful." he said, blushing slightly. Aoko blushed too, giggling and then gave him a twirl. He chuckled at this.

"Thankyou very much." Aoko smiled broadly as she bowed. Hakuba nodded.

"No problem". He glanced at the sofa for a second them back to her and patted the seat beside him where Aoko went and made herself comfortable.

"I gave Keiko a ring."

"Really, I thought you two fell out some time ago..."

"Apparently we did. She called me a worthless bitch and the first time I rung she just hung up straight away. I managed to talk to her for a bit the second time but it's just confusing me even more."

"Retracing your steps?"

"Mm-hm..." Aoko paused. "Do you know what happened between us?" Aoko asked fearfully, believing perhaps he would just feed her a string of questions.

"I think so. A while back...four years ago when you were 18--"

"How old am I?" Aoko interrupted. Hakuba tried not to laugh seeing as no one had ever genuinely asked him that before.

"22 by my count."

"Right. You were saying...?"

"Something...well I won't go into it now...happened between you and Kaito which provoked him to move to New York you see. I believe, now this is just from what others have told me so it may not be very accurate, that you became very angry after this and took out quite a lot of your anger on Keiko, her being your best friend. Soon frustration turned into pure vindictiveness and you began to bully her on purpose. Because you were so distraught about the incident with Kaito. I think what really triggered your final fall out was when you stole a high paid position in some fancy company from her. The straw broke the camels back and you two never spoke again. Keiko lives in a small apartment in central Tokyo somewhere. She must also feel insecure because you're living in the lap of luxury while she is something of a lower middle class struggling to pay her bills."

"Lap of luxury?"

"Oh yes, you were rolling in it!"

"What job was it...?"

"Something to do with Microsoft I think..."

"Was I good with computers?"

"Not sure..." Aoko crossed her legs and shuffled to face Hakuba, staring him right in the eye.

"Why won't you tell me what happened with Kaito?"

"Because..." Hakuba groaned and ran a hand down his face, looking in the opposite direction. "I think it would be heartbreaking to you."

"Why?"

"Please Aoko just drop it."

"I'm ready for anything! Just tell me!" Hakuba suddenly lunged, grasping Aoko's hand tight taking her by surprise, her heart letting out a large thump. For a minute the two were locked in a long stare. Aoko couldn't quite put her finger on the emotion in Hakuba's eyes, perhaps something vaguely reminiscent of...what looked like love. He let out a deep breath.

"Aoko please! I am begging you! Do this as a favor to me! Don't go to New York!" Aoko pulled her hand away from his harshly, standing her ground. If he thought he could sucker her with that puppy dog look, he was wrong.

"You can't stop me." With that she stood sharply and stomped out of the room.


	3. Like its no longer alive

Aoko spent the rest of the day in her room, rolling over on her bed and trying to recollect her lost past with little success. The only thing of Kaito she could remember the way he was before her accident and there were no traces of any sort of argument or fallout or involvement of any sort. Hakuba steered clear of her room all day, occasionally she would hear his footsteps pass by and whenever they stopped she always secretly hoped he was going to open it and apologize to her but he never did. He would always just walk on by. Stuck in his house with not much to do, Aoko danced around a bit humming random tunes to herself that she remembered from prior to her memory erase, flicked through a couple of the novels on Hakuba's shelf and other small stupid things like jumping on the bed or hiding underneath it like it was her secret den. Although she was physically 22, she had missed quite a lot of mental aging so at heart she was still a teenager, and that was how she acted, taking pleasure in simple little things she could find around the room. She rather naughtily carved her name in the wood paneling underneath the bed so if anyone looking hard enough they would know who had been here once. Maybe Hakuba would find it and become angry at her but the chances of him looking under her bed were...probably...slim to nil.

Finally, close to midnight, Hakuba opened her door to check on her. He looked a little surprised to see she was still awake.

"Still up at this hour?" Hakuba chuckled. Aoko crawled forwards on the bed, positioned herself at the end and smiled.

"Yeah." Hakuba strolled over carefully and sat down beside her.

"Listen...I'm sorry for getting so angry earlier."

_Yay! Apology!_ Aoko cried in her head

"I'm just a little torn. On one hand I would like to go to New York and maybe you two could patch things up and on the other hand I think perhaps you would only be hurt...And also...."

"Also what...?" Aoko suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"There is something else nagging me not to let you go."

"What would that be."

"Something buried deep in my heart." Aoko's face began to heat up, her heart pounding, anxious to hear the rest.

"Yes?" Hakuba pressed his hands together and rested his forehead on the tips of his fingers. He let out a long nervous breath and closed his eyes. He opened them again slowly, glanced at Aoko and the sat upright, towering above her a little. He scooted a little closer towards her. His hand slowly slid onto her hand, then tenderly up her arm. The tempo of Aoko's pounding heart increased dramatically. He stopped at her shoulder and gripped it tight. Then Hakuba gave her a push, gentle enough not to hurt, but hard enough to push her back onto the bed. Aoko opened her mouth the protest but Hakuba dived forwards straight into a deep kiss, slipping his tongue past her lips. Aoko let out a muffled cry of shock and then remained rigid for a moment, but then came to her senses and jerked her lips away from his, throwing her head to one side. Hakuba seized this opportunity and began to attack her neck, passionately and viciously leaving many bruising kisses. She was completely pinned by him. Escape seemed impossible.

"Aah!" Aoko cried "Hakuba stop it! STOP IT!" She began to flail at him, pounding his back with her fists but he was not on earth anymore. Aoko attempted to get up but he grabbed both of her wrists, clutching them hard enough to leave a mark and pushed her back down again regaining control over her lips at the same time. Aoko let out another muffled cry, trashing her legs around. Aoko flew into panic when he released her wrist and began to slide his hand up her shirt.

"I SAID STOP!" Aoko cried biting down hard on Hakuba's lip, which finally caused him to relent. Hakuba toppled backwards, a hand clasped over his mouth. Aoko sat, breathing heavily and staring at him, utterly mortified. She noticed a drop of blood fall onto his collar.

"I'm so sorry Aoko." Hakuba uttered quietly. "Its just...I..." Aoko's eyes became a little tearful.

"I love you." Aoko had little time to respond, as by the time she registered his confession, he had already left the room.

Aoko didn't sleep a wink that night. Instead she invested in a little trip to her secret den (Under the bed) where she stared at the words "Aoko Nakamori" carved on the wood above her. She wondered if this bed was an antique and began to feel increasingly guilty, hoping her mark wouldn't appraise it's value in any way. No more carving tonight. She had pulled the duvet into her little fortress and everything was quite comfy under there for her. All of a sudden Aoko found herself thinking funny little thoughts. _I wonder if Dad threw my stuffed __animals away? My manga? _Then all of a sudden she felt a pang of worry as she pictured a bin man hauling a large bag full of her old stuffed toys into a rubbish truck, crushing it and driving off...Then again...maybe she threw them away herself...After all, this person she had forgotten wasn't Aoko. The real Aoko would never bully Keiko... She twiddled her thumbs and wondered what exactly she had become after Kaito left for New York. Then she found herself wondering why the hell she was thinking about such insignificant things as her stuffed toys when Hakuba had confessed his love for her? She remembered way back, occasionally he used to kiss her on the hand (Much like Kaito did) and he was very protective of her but for him to...Do such things...A tingle like a small spider dashed down her spine. He seemed so much more mature than she remembered him, not quite so hot headed (In most situations anyway), perhaps even more gentlemanly than before...Except for that brief moment when they both let their guard down and Aoko saw his true colors. She hated how bloody complicated everything was getting.

"Hey, What're you doing under there?"

The first thing Aoko saw when she woke up was Hakuba's knees. Ha, she must of fallen asleep. Hakuba found this very amusing.

"I was worried when I came in and you weren't here, c'mon." He slipped a hand underneath the bed which Aoko took and he hoisted her out of her den.

"Gooood morning Hakuba" Aoko stretched her words playfully. She rolled across the carpet and sprawled out on the floor ,stretching her limbs with a loud yawn. Aoko was playing the lets-pretend-he-didn't-kiss-me-and-everything-is-as-it-was-before game. Hakuba was obviously playing along.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked. Aoko nodded quickly, still stretching herself out.

"Mm-hmm." She groaned. "You?"

"Not really." There was a slight pause.

"Listen Aoko...."

"Thats my name, don't wear it out."

"Right...Listen I was thinking...about what happened last night." Aoko suddenly tensed up, all relaxation sucked out of the atmosphere. Hakuba continued: "I wanted to apologize for putting you in such an awkward position."

"I'm sorry for biting you."

"Don't be...Umm...Anyway. I was thinking....I'm sorry for also being so...I don't know. I was acting like a control freak...and I really think going to New York is something you have to do." Aoko sat bolt upright.

"Huh?"

"I'll loan you some money and drive you to the airport. You can go to New York. It wasn't even my decision to make and I'd already decided no. You can go--" Before Hakuba could finish, Aoko pounced on him like a kitten presented with a ball of string, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"Thankyou so much Hakuba! Thank you! Thank you thank you!" She squeezed him tight, completely casting off last nights encounter. Hakuba was doing his best not to reciprocate her embrace in fear that he may get carried away again. Quickly he placed his hands on her shoulders and navigated her away from him with haste.

"Now Aoko I want you to know should the slightest thing go wrong you can hold me personally responsible for everything. If there's anything you need at all..."

"I'll give you a shout." Aoko beamed at him. He beamed back.

"Feel free."

Aoko scooted across the marble floors of the airport, tailed by Hakuba, carrying a plastic bag containing Aoko's only luggage, her clothes, her money and her passport (Which Hakuba, being a detective, had managed to borrow without asking from Aoko's home).

"Ack! The gates gonna close any minute now!" Aoko cried, a cranberry and Brie toasty hanging by a corner from her mouth.

"I'm so sorry Aoko! That I overslept!"

"Don't worry about it!" The clock stuck 10:00am the two made their way swiftly to the gate of Aoko's flight. It was boarding as she arrived in the lounge. Quickly, Aoko stuffed the remains of the toasty into her mouth, licked her lips and fingers and planted Hakuba a quick kiss on the cheek before handing in her boarding pass. He waved to her, smiling meekly as the stream of passengers carried her one step closer to her destination. Hakuba let out a longing sigh when she dissapeared from his view, his hand slowly returning to his side. He wondered if he would ever see her again.

Aoko clicked herself into her seat, her head darting around, like a cat eying a tank of goldfish, bobbing up and down in her chair excitedly. She hadn't been on a plane in ages so it felt very much as if it were the first time for her. The marveled at the TV in the back of the seat as if she had never seen one before and then turned her attention to the in-flight shopping brochures, menus, safety instructions, movie guides and a magazine of sights that had to be seen in New York. Aoko was itching for the plain to take off. Hakuba had given her a bag of boiled fruit sweets in case her ears popped during landing and takeoff but she had already munched down half of them in anticipation of taking off. She was really going to New York. What she was going to do when she got there, she had no idea except it would involve tracking Kaito down somehow whatever it took.


	4. It's like a loss of vision

Many of the passengers had drifted off, Less and less movies were playing, the stewards and stewardesses hadn't been by for a while now...(Which was a real pain because she was fancying a cola right now) .Aoko wasn't sure how she managed to be so peppy when she should've been tired, had lost track of time and the plane was slowly crossing the time zones. The prospect of seeing Kaito finally had kept her fully fueled the whole journey, and she would've been bouncing off the walls if she weren't on a plane right now. Like a child waiting impatiently by the window for a new toy to arrive, Aoko could barely contain herself. She had watched a few movies over the duration of the flight one of which was _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_, a film starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. It was very befitting to her situation, a couple who had fallen in love once had their memories erased of one another and then rekindled their relationship at the end without knowing that they were an item once before. Every time there was a romantic scene or a kiss, Aoko couldn't help but picture herself and Kaito in the same situation for some strange reason, making her blush furiously. Although she was trying hard to not allow her excitement to build up much as it would probably be all the more painful if Kaito had absolutely no desire to see her whatsoever. After a while of looking around this mid air capsule it was clear that none of the other passengers seemed to share her enthusiasm. A good example was the woman sat next to her.

When Aoko sat down on the plane for the first time this woman quickly joined her, she simply gave Aoko a quick smile and a nod then drifted off and she had been asleep ever since. Aoko was a little worried and had even gone so far as to poke her a couple of times but the woman would always groan and shuffle and roll over in her seat assuring Aoko that she was alive, just tired, very tired. It was a small plane. This planes arrangement went; two seats, aisle, four seats, aisle, two seats. It was small but comfy and well equip, with a lot of legroom and friendly staff, the only grievance being her sleeping seat mates head would often lull to one side and land on Aoko's shoulder, although it was nothing a gentle push couldn't fix. Finally a stewardess came back round again and Aoko obtained her coke. She was very happy now.

After several more movies, cokes and a chicken wrap, sun was beginning to rise as was the woman sat beside Aoko (finally). The woman sat upright, blinked back tears from her sleepy eyes and looked around, almost slightly confused as if she had forgotten that she was on a plane and had only just remembered now. Then she turned to Aoko herself.

"Hey there." she smiled.

"Hi." Aoko replied, removing her headphones.

"What brings you to New York?" The woman smiled politely. Aoko smiled back.

"I'm...visiting friends." Aoko wondered if that could be considered true.

"I'm just taking a city break." the woman extended a hand. "Koizumi, Akako Koizumi."

"Nakamori Aoko. Nice to meet you." Aoko shook her hand. Suddenly Akako's eyes widened.

"Aoko? The Inspectors daughter?"

"You know me?"

"I was in your class in high school, remember?"

"Can't say I do...But then again I don't really remember anything much of what happened before two days ago."

"Really, how so?"

"I was in an accident..." Aoko sighed. She wondered how many more people who knew her she was going to bump into.

"Amnesia or something." Akako looked concerned.

"Yeah. Actually the reason I'm coming here is to visit Kaito. Y'know Kaito Kuroba? I thought maybe I would be able to make sense of this whole messy situation if I went to see him."

"Ah of course...Ki--"

"What?"

"I mean yeah I remember Kaito!" Akako laughed nervously. There was a short break in the conversation. Aoko placed her hands in her lap and stared solemnly at her knees.

"I only awoke a few days ago in the hospital...My father told me that he had moved to New York so I left the hospital in the night...He's probably looking for me right now...and ended up in an alleyway somewhere behind a club where Detective Hakuba-san found me. So I stayed at his house a bit and there were certain...happenings...in which I found out a few things about him that I didn't know before...Then he loaned me some money and drove me here as a result of which I am talking to you know. On my way to find Kaito." There was a long silence while Akako registered the story.

"Do you even know where he lives?" Akako asked. Aoko shook her head. Akako laughed heartily. "Well guess what. You're in luck because I do!" Aoko gasped.

"Would you tell me where?" Aoko clasped her hands together pleadingly, her large blue eyes shining like a tropical ocean. Akako gave her old acquaintance a pat on the back.

"Better, I'll drive you there!"

"Really?"

"Oh why not. I'm just here on a random pleasure jaunt anyway. Spur of the moment thing" Aoko, unable to contain her delight, leaped forwards into Akako's arms, despite the fact they had only met a minute ago. Meeting Kaito meant enough to her that she would hug an almost perfect stranger.

"Thankyou so much! You don't know how much this means to me!" Akako looked a little taken aback at first but then began to chortle loudly while giving Aoko a pat on the head.

"Haha, Aoko. You're so cute." Aoko backed away when she noticed a lot of passengers were giving them strange looks. Aoko smiled to herself as she resumed her position in her chair. She didn't really remember Akako's name or face like she had remembered Kaito or Hakuba but she certainly had a familiar feeling about her and that was enough for Aoko. She seemed nice enough. She popped her headphones back in and carried on listening to _Woke up this morning_ by Alabama 3. What time was it? Slowly, slowly, her eyelids grew heavier little by little.

Akako had her hand on Aoko's shoulder when she opened her eyes finally. Her lips were moving but the sound was muted. Aoko groaned, blinking a few times and the opened her eyes fully. This time Akako's words became audible.

"Aoko, we're here now!" Aoko sat bolt upright as if someone had tipped a bucket of cold water over her. She bent down and scrambled around under her seat, pulling out her luggage.

"Ah, the smartest travelers only carry one bag." Akako grinned.

"Well it's all I have, this luggage, really."

Aoko was pleased to find Akako was also a smart traveler and the two didn't have to put up with the tedious bag collection process when they reached the John F. Kennedy airport. Aoko marveled at the wondrous structure of the building as her and Akako cleared the numerous inspection desks. Like Akako had mentioned earlier this was a sort of pleasure jaunt for Aoko too. Not only was she here to locate her best friend but she wanted to absorb the sights and sounds of the Big Apple to the fullest. Suddenly her head was flooded with romantic fantasies of her and Kaito's wine glasses clinking together as they dined at a velvet lined Italian restaurant, of Kaito shielding her from the rain with his coat as the walked home, of him kissing her tenderly outside the door of his home...At these thoughts, Aoko giggled to herself like the schoolgirl she was at heart provoking a rather strange look from Akako. Aoko's parade was then rained on when she remembered Keiko's words..._I don't think he wants to see you..._Why on earth would he not want to see her though? Which was why, aside from the jaunt, she was here. Aoko stood behind Akako ,who was probably talking about something, pondering all the possible reasons they could've fallen out. Keiko specifically said that she broke his heart. But...She would never do that. She loved him. That, she had come to terms with on this trip. The reason she pushed Hakuba away is because she would never let anyone except Kaito touch her in that way. If he was heartbroken she would mend it!

"C'mon Aoko!" by the time she lifted her head Akako was halfway across the airport from her, waving frantically for her to follow. Stepping back into reality, Aoko followed her friend. Akako had hired quite an impressive looking open roofed crimson car which seemed to match her personality like a glove. No sooner had Aoko sat on the beige leather seats and closed the door did Akako zoom off at the speed of light.

Akako drove a little...a lot too fast for Aoko's taste. But she was certainly enjoying the sensation of the wind running its hands through her hair. The radio was blaring out "Viva Las Vegas" which Akako was howling along to at the top of her lungs ,completely unselfconscious. It was this type of driver which tended to irritate Aoko quite a lot, but not so much now seeing as she was in the passenger seat. She was a little shocked when halfway through Akako offered her a cigarette, which she politely turned down.

After a good few hours of highway driving, the skies began to grow dark and Akako's sleek red car began to approach the glowing skyline of New York city itself. Aoko, drowning in her own excitement, hastily unfastened her seat belt and knelt up on the seat for a better look, leaning forwards against the windshield, which didn't seem to bother Akako at all. "City of blinding lights" by U2 was playing now which seemed more appropriate than ever.

Aoko had retained a little more of her memory prior to the accident than she thought. She remembered she had been brought up by her father to believe that New York was a bad place and if she went there she'd probably just get mugged or raped or something and she remembered all the gruesome New York gangster films her and Keiko would watch, hugging each other in fear, popcorn on their laps, letting out a squeak every time a gun was fired. She almost shed another tear for Keiko even though she promised herself she wouldn't. But Aoko didn't just remember the morbid fear of New York her father had attempted to plant in her mind as a child. She remembered seeing it portrayed in a positive light in other films and how much she wished she could go there upon watching these. It wasn't in the least bit disappointing. It was all like some fantastical dream.

The car zoomed past large glass buildings, crowds of people going about their daily lives and more neon advertising than you could poke a stick at. Parks with large ponds and outdoor restaurants, monuments and statues, shopping malls and modern intricately designed buildings. Aoko craned her neck to see the very tallest of the buildings, not wanting to miss a thing. She even waved at several pedestrians. Only 3 out of 10 waved back. Akako laughed at Aoko's childish excitement, plucking a cigarette from between her lips and tossing it out of the car window. Aoko sat down finally, slumping in her chair a little as if she had excited herself too much and had worn herself out and was tired already.

"Akako, it's amazing!" Aoko gaped. "Have you ever been here before?"

"Of course I have. How else would I know where Kaito lives?" Although Akako knew that was a lie. She had been here before though.

"Where does he live?"

"In a flashy penthouse in Midtown Manhattan. He's got cash on him, rest assured."

"Oh I don't really care about his money."

"Heh, I do. I'm almost tempted to come in for a drink with you! If it spells free champagne I'm all for it!"

After passing through several more landmarks in Manhattan (Aoko's instant favorite was of course times square) the car finally pulled up outside a large building, which certainly looked like it would cost a fortune to live in. Aoko eagerly climbed out of the vehicle. As she closed the door she leaned into the car and gave Akako another hug.

"Thankyou so much Akako! I'll never forget this!"

"Yeah, buy me some champagne one day." Aoko giggled. "Oh by the way, if anything doesn't work out, here's my cell number, you can come and stay at mine and we'll go sightseeing together."

"Thankyou once again!"

"Just get your ass in there and see Kaito, girl!"

"Thankyou!" Aoko waved as Akako sped of into the blurred lights of the traffic of New York and then turned on her heels to enter the building.

When she reached the top floor, Aoko's excitement, yet at the same time anxiety was indescribable. Slowly she plodded along the soft carpet of the hallway, clutching the skirt Hakuba bought her. Aoko stopped and glanced up at the door that stood before her. Kaito's door, it must of taken her at least half and hour before she could even touch the doorbell. It rang. She held her breath. The door unlocked and slowly slid open. Sure enough, there he was.

"Aoko?"


	5. Or a dark impression

Kaito hadn't changed a bit except he was taller and had a certain maturity about him that wasn't there before. Aoko had never really realized how handsome he was until now, as he was just her friend before so she didn't really have time to fritter away out his looks...But now, Aoko could barely believe her eyes. Her love for him was increasing rapidly every second that she looked at him. Fearing eventually she'd leap into his arms, Aoko stared at her feet. When she looked up again she couldn't really tell what expression Kaito was aiming for, cycling through every possible emotion in the spectrum. By the end of it, his face was completely blank. Aoko smiled innocently, her eyes darting between the floor and his face, not wanting to look him in the eye for too long in case he caught onto her true feelings for him. Although the redness of her face was a dead giveaway. Kaito opened his mouth slowly.

"What're you doing here Aoko?" He sounded slightly angry. She was surprised to see how deep his voice had gotten.

"I-I....I..."

"Y'know I don't get you." Aoko looked up at him, shocked. "We haven't spoken since your 18th birthday then all of a sudden you just show up here. Don't tell me you came here just to apologize..."  
"Apologize for what?"

"You have got to be joking?" Kaito's mouth fell wide open. "What it so insignificant to you, YOU JUST FORGOT?" Aoko recoiled when he raised his voice, slightly frightened.

"N-no! Kaito! The thing is....I can't remember anything!"

"What?" Aoko opened her mouth to begin to explain but then Kaito raised a hand to silence her. "No wait, Don't tell me yet. Would you like to come in?" Aoko smiled broadly. The fact he was letting her in was obviously a good sign. Akako wasn't lying when she said that his apartment was flashy. The whole northern wall of the building was a huge glass window, overlooking the beautiful night skyline of New York. It was certainly tidy, all it's floor were lined with spotless light gray carpet. Facing the window were two white leather sofa's each with it's own set of neatly arranged sky blue pillows. A glass coffee table lay in between them with a small glass vase containing a single rose perched on it. In A small area in the corner, opposite the sofa's which wasn't glass, stood a large plasma screen TV surrounded by an expensive looking stereo system, a DVD player and an Xbox 360 (Aoko found this quite amusing). A short length of wall separated the living room from the dining room and kitchen. The kitchen had everything. Highly polished black counter tops, a full length fridge with an ice-cube maker on the front and even a separate fridge full of expensive looking wine. Despite the fact Kaito obviously lived on his own, he had a rather glass dining table surrounded by chairs. Aoko thought it must be lonely to sit at a table like that, with so many empty chairs. Well it was her mission to make sure Kaito didn't dine alone tonight. There were two doors around the corner from the dining room which Aoko assumed must be his bedroom and bathroom. She stared in awe.

"Kaito, it's beautiful." He didn't reply, rather he just sat down on one of his sofas, his expression totally serious, and signaled for Aoko to join him, which she did so with haste. There was a certain tension in the air she couldn't quite put her finger on. Kaito let out a heavy breath.

"So what's your story Aoko?" And at that, she came forward and spilled out everything that had happened, not missing a detail. For her waking up in the hospital, to her being found in the streets by Hakuba, to his confession, to her meeting Akako on the plane and being driven here. Kaito listened, his expressions cycling the spectrum again. By the time Aoko had finished Kaito was looking at her like she was utterly insane.

"So lemme get this straight. You can't remember anything that happened before an accident you had when you were 17, but no everyone is saying you only had an accident recently, and people are talking about things you never did or rather don't remember ever doing." Aoko nodded.

"I came all the way here to see you, and I have no idea what happened between us when we were 18! Can you tell me please?"

"Well..." Kaito suddenly looked saddened but quickly hid it under a mask of seriousness. "It was your 18th birthday and I finally realized something...." Aoko's heart thumped. Could he possibly mean...?

"So brought you a very expensive necklace. I gave it to you for your birthday, then I told you that...I...loved you." Aoko's heart then skipped a beat all together. He loved her? "But then you got angry at me, calling me a conniving deceitful lier, you threw the necklace back at me...As a result of which I have this..." Kaito pushed back some of his hair to reveal a large scar under his ear. Aoko gasped as at first she assumed he meant it metaphorically when he said she threw it back at him. "You told me to get out of your house and that you never wanted to see me again because the sight of my face made you sick. So I moved here. Happy?" Aoko was stunned silent and utterly motionless. Why would she do something like that? Who was she? Who was this person everyone claimed she was? Why would she hurt Kaito both emotionally and physically for telling her that he loved her? When Hakuba had told her that the truth would be heartbreaking, he wasn't kidding. She could hear her heart cracking, slowly slowly, until it shattered all together, leaving nothing but broken fragments. His news ripped her apart like a shred of paper. He obviously hated her. She would've hates someone for something like that.

"So you finally come back here after not even trying to apologize once in the whole 4 years. Why don't you just leave right now so you don't throw up all over my carpet at the sight of my sickening face?!" Kaito screamed shooting up from the couch. Aoko almost cried out. Suddenly Kaito stopped to comprehend his actions and lowered his head while he mentally calmed himself down. Still looking down, he sat again. When Kaito glanced up from the floor, he noticed the large thick tears that were streaming down Aoko's face and instantly regretted his comments, wishing that he could withdraw them. Aoko rubbed her eye with her palm and stifled a sob, her whole body quivering.

"Why...?...Why...?...I wouldn't....I would never..." She stared at him, like a child who had lost her way, almost begging him for mercy. "I'm sorry!" She cried. "I'm so SO sorry Kaito!" Then her soft sobbing escalated into full on bawling. Kaito looked around awkwardly as if searching for help.

"Aoko don't cry...."

"Please forgive me!" she pleaded. "Please please! I would be willing to follow you to the end of the earth trying to make it up to you! I'm not that kind of person! I would never do those things to you! Please! Please forgive me!"

"Aoko, I don't know if I can forgive you...You hurt me so badly..." Aoko's bawling only got louder at this.

"I know! I should've come here! This was a mistake! I'm sorry!" Grappling with the uncontrollable flow of tears, Aoko stood and took off towards the door at the speed of light.

"Aoko wait!" Kaito quickly took pursuit. As Aoko grasped the handle and began to open the door, her progress was suddenly hindered by Kaito, who pressed his palm firmly on the door and slammed it shut again. Aoko made another attempt to reach for the handle, but this time Kaito lunged and gripped her wrist tight and swung her round so they were now face to face, her chest pressed up against his. She could feel his heart beating. For a moment they were locked in deep stare, but Aoko tore her eyes away, because looking at him now was only making her heart burn with agony.

"Kaito, let me go...Please..." she whimpered.

"Have you really...Lost your memory?" Aoko nodded.

"Do you have anywhere to go?" Aoko shook her head, although she knew it was a lie. Really she wanted to stay with Kaito, but she wasn't about to let him find that out. Slowly he released his grip on her wrist. He didn't know what to do with her. His emotions were conflicting so much he thought he would burst. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the Aoko Nakamori he had fallen in love with, this crying little girl...But what would he do if the Aoko Nakamori who rejected him was still in there? And if she regained her lost memories? How would he handle that? Kaito wasn't sure he could go through that pain again. He had never cried so much in his life. As he ran from her house in the rain, clutching the necklace he cried even more than all the rain that was falling around him. Even to this day he would find himself caught of guard and he'd lock himself in his room and cry. He promised himself he wouldn't, he had to get over it. But tackling this issue seemed all the more hard now that she was standing in front of him right now, crying and begging his forgiveness. Kaito didn't want her to see that he was really overjoyed to see her. He maintained his indifferent attitude.

"I'm not letting you leave here." he proclaimed sternly.

"Kaito...I..." Aoko breathed, her voice slowly returning to normal. "I can take care of myself."

"I don't care. Stay here."

"BUT YOU HATE ME DON'T YOU!?" Aoko screeched. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO FORCE YOURSELF TO BE NICE TO ME!"

"I NEVER SAID I HATED YOU!"

"WELL YOU'VE MADE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT YOU DO!"

"I DON'T--!" Kaito stopped mid sentence and exhaled. "I don't hate you..." There was a long silence. Aoko blinked away the remains of her tears and stared down at the floor, her breathing a little labored and jumpy from all the crying she'd done. Kaito only now noticed how close they were together, just centimeters apart. Kaito, worried that he had backed Aoko right into the corner, quickly shuffled away to give her some space.

"Look, I have a spare room. Who knows what'll happen if I just let you go out there alone."

"Like I said, I can take care of...my..." Aoko trailed off when she realized that Kaito's face had returned to the close proximity that is had been at previously. Kaito extended a hand and rested it on the wall beside Aoko's head, locking her in place. Her heart was almost screaming, a meltdown occurring. Slowly Kaito's head began to drift even closer to hers. Aoko let out a startled breath when his lips came into contact with hers, but only briefly and lightly, for the minute he realized what he was doing, he pulled away, looking confused as if he wasn't quite sure what he had just done, like an unconscious murder. He staggered a little, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, I-I...don't know what came over...me..." he stuttered. Quickly, he picked up Aoko's luggage and strolled of around the corner from the entryway.

"Umm...Your room is...over here." Aoko followed cautiously. Kaito was stood in front of an open door which he quickly ushered her into.

"...Good night..." The door softly clicked shut and Aoko fell backwards onto the bed. She traced her fingers along her lips. That one kiss had shocked her so much she was almost frozen in time.


	6. Or a black spot on your eye

Kaito was so surprised at himself. He was over her wasn't he? He'd tried so hard over all these years to forget her then all of a sudden...She was all he could think of. What exactly did he feel towards her? Her for him? That kiss...it felt so right. Aoko's lips were much softer than he ever imagined and they tasted delicious...He could've of remained in that sweet kiss for an eternity...Yet it had been completely unconscious...as if he wasn't in the pilots seat anymore, rather someone else had been driving him at the time. Perhaps he knew who the hijacker was. He knew very well. His old self. The Kaito Kid. When the old Aoko waltzed back into his life so did the old Kaito. The Kid. International criminal 1412. He hadn't been Kid since she broke his heart, he just completely lost momentum but now...He wanted to be the Kaito Kid again. How could he have just cast aside his cape and monocle and the chance revenge for his fathers death like that? And the Pandora? It was out there somewhere and it was his destiny to find it, how stupid he had been to forget. Kaito hadn't opened the cabinet at the back of his closet for four years now, but somehow he found himself slowly reaching past his clothes and feeling for the handle. Gently he pried the door open and saw it there. His suit, his hat, his cape, the good old hang glider just like he had left it. He hoped he hadn't gotten rusty after all these years. No, that wasn't possible. His poker face was still perfect.

Slowly Kaito trod across his dining room and living room to the door of the room Aoko slept in. Carefully, with as little noise as possible, he turned the handle. Much to his luck she was fast asleep. In this light she looked almost like a china doll, so still, so beautiful and so perfect. As a goodbye for the evening Kaito ran his hand lovingly across her smooth pale cheek. He smiled down at her, innocently wrapped in her own private oblivion.

"See you in the morning Aoko."

Aoko stretched and yawned. When she opened her eyes she half expected to be lying under the bed at Hakuba's house still and this whole trip to be a dream but she was very pleased to see that she was tightly tucked into the thick light blue duvet of the spare bed in Kaito's apartment. Wearily, she slipped out of bed and stumbled across the floor to open the curtains.

"Good morning Aoko..." Kaito was stood at the oven, briskly frying bacon and eggs. Only now did Aoko remember how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten since the flight over to New York city.

"Morning..." Aoko rubbed her eyes. He grinned at her.

"Have you seen the news?" The small wall mounted TV was buzzing in the background. Aoko heard the news beat tune playing as the camera zoomed in to the reporter.

"_Last night the Crystal du Ciel, a unique variation of the sapphire, was stolen from a highly secure jewelry gallery in central New York. The thief has been identified as international criminal 1412. The Kaito Kid."_ Aoko suddenly dived for the remote, slamming her thumb on the volume button.

"Kaito Kid?" she stared up at the screen as if she had just had a life changing epiphany.

"I know. He disappeared for a while but now he's back. Odd isn't it? I wonder where he went." Aoko wasn't sure but somehow Kaito looked like he was proud of himself for some odd reason. When Aoko turned to the screen again she was shocked to see herself.

"_Police are still searching for 22 year old Aoko Nakamori who disappeared from Narita Hospital in Tokyo two days ago. Aoko was in a car accident the previous week and was diagnosed with partial amnesia. Several hours after her waking from a week long coma, Aoko disappeared from her hospital bed leaving only a note written in blood. Police suspect she was kidnapped." _Kaito glanced at Aoko, a smug grin on his face.

"Kidnapped now are you? Did you just come here to frame me as the kidnapper?"

"I...umm..." Aoko stammered. Kaito laughed.

"Do you want something to eat?"

"Yes please."

Aoko could definitely tell Kaito was a lot more relaxed than the previous evening but the air between them was still awkward. All she could think of was that brief sweet moment when he kissed her, the entire scene playing over and over in her head. Her running to the door, him refusing to let her leave...It was like something out of a romantic drama movie. It almost made her shiver thinking about it. She wondered if Kaito was thinking the same.

Suddenly, as Aoko munched on her breakfast, she found herself wondering how Kaito managed to pay for this apartment. His job?

"Hey Kaito."

"Hm?"

"Where do you work?"

"Hm?"

"You know...Like a job...I know you don't get a place like this for free." Kaito suddenly froze as if someone was pressing a gun barrel against his back.

"I...just sort of...trade things..."

"Like what kind of things?"

"Like umm....Precious stones..."

"Oh really? I suppose you must hate the Kid right now." Suddenly Kaito smirked at her ambiguously.

"Not as much as you might think." This confused Aoko, but she quickly dismissed it and finished her breakfast. Kaito took her empty plate and tossed it absentmindedly over his shoulder into the sink.

"Say Aoko, I'm going for a walk around Central Park this afternoon. Do you want to come with?" Aoko lit up like a Christmas tree.

"I'd love to!"

It was mid autumn and a chill breeze hung around the air, the type that required a thick coat and a scarf, and the tree's looked as if they were ablaze in all their fiery autumn clad glory. Aoko kicked leaves that paved the pathway as she walked, jumping in puddles and randomly twirling around on the tips of her toes like a child. Perhaps the little fantasies of her and Kaito dining romantically together in an expensive restaurant were to remain behind bars for now but a simple stroll through Central Park was enough for Aoko. It was another New York landmark Aoko had only seen in the movies, and it was even more beautiful in reality, just like the whole city. Kaito had lent her a scarf, which she had been clutching tightly as it hung around her neck ever since they left the house. As they walked, Aoko almost wished that Kaito would slide his arm around her or something but it didn't seem to likely. What she didn't know was that Kaito also wished for her to link her arm with his and snuggle up close to him.

Aoko scattered another pile of leaves with her boots and giggled like a child.

"You're lucky to live here Kaito!" she smiled at him. He still hadn't quite accustomed to her yet so he simply smiled back and nodded. "New York is beautiful!"

Aoko and Kaito continued to walk with one another throughout the weaving paths of Central Park until Kaito finally stopped at a charming corner cafe and bought Aoko a hot chocolate and a slice of carrot cake. The hot chocolate heated Aoko's whole body from head to toe and it tasted divine. She noticed that even in such casual surroundings Kaito seemed to be having difficulty making eye contact with her. Aoko wondered whether it was because he simply felt uncomfortable around probably the first girl ever to break his heart or maybe he had some kind of hidden agenda that Aoko was yet unaware of. When Aoko had finished her chocolate and cake Kaito finally spoke up.

"Listen Aoko..."

"Hmm?"

"How would you react if I told you that I was planning on moving back to Tokyo...?" Aoko almost dropped her empty coco mug.

"Really?!" Kaito had never seen Aoko look so excited in her life, in all the time that he'd ever known her. He raised his gloved hands as if to shield himself from the sheer energy Aoko was giving off.

"Don't get too excited. It's just a thought. Probably won't happen." Aoko receded like the tide, slowly pulling back from her earlier excitement. Kaito felt a little saddened to see her look so disappointed.

"Okay then..." Slowly she began to tap the edge of her plate with her fork. Her and Kaito were sat awkwardly in silence for the next few minutes.

"AOKO NAKAMORI!" Aoko turned to see an angry looked New York police officer flanked by a frazzled looking woman and several other members of the law enforcement party.

"That's her!" The woman yelled. "The amnesiac who went missing!" Kaito shot up from his seat fast enough to over turn the table, quickly gripping Aoko's hand in his. Without wasting a moment he scaled the overturned table and sprinted across the Central Park, tugging Aoko along behind him. He was going so fast Aoko was nearly swept off her feet. She wondered where he had learned to run so fast. Aoko heard someone crying "After them!" far behind them but the police men were already out of sight. Aoko was sure he could've crossed half of New York in seconds with his panther like speed. When they turned corners Aoko struggled to keep her grip. When the finally reached the apartment Kaito didn't slam on the breaks until they were right outside his door, which Aoko narrowly avoided breaking her nose on as they came to a grinding halt. Breathless, the two stood leant against the wall smiling at each other as much as their remaining energy would allow, which wasn't much.

"Where did...you learn...to run like that...?" Aoko breathed.

"Guess you don't remember middle school then..." Kaito didn't sound nearly as out of breath as she was.

"Middle...school...?"

"First in every cross country." Aoko widened her eyes. It was mandatory for Kaito to be a good runner, for should all else fail, he could simply outrun his pursuers.

"Wow..." Kaito slowly opened the door and followed Aoko in.

"D'you think...Maybe I should stay indoors from now on...?" Aoko asked.

"Maybe..." Kaito stuck his hands in his pockets and trudged across the carpet.

"I'm going to do some reading, give me a shout if you need anything."


	7. Through the shouting and the fever

Kaito confined himself in his room for the rest of the day. Aoko was worried by how quiet he was being. She knocked a couple of times just to see if he was OK but he always answered. She didn't dare go in. She worried that perhaps she would be invading his personal space. Aoko thought perhaps she was being a little paranoid about keeping on Kaito's good side but she couldn't afford to make a wrong footing. Not now. Not here. Aoko dreaded every second that she would slip up and say something or do something that would make it all fall down. She was here to mend his heart that she had so foolishly broken so far back. She wondered and wondered...Why would she be so insensitive? There must have been a reason...But neither her or Kaito seemed to know it. If Kaito did, he wasn't telling her...

Aoko was suddenly overcome by a large hunger pang. Still worried about her footing on the rocks that were her and Kaito's relationship, she ignored her instinct to ask him and snuck into the kitchen to help herself to a snack. She was lucky enough to come by an unopened packet of shrimp crackers on the kitchen counter. As she satisfied her craving, Aoko flicked the remote, turning Kaito's kitchen TV on with a buzz.

"_Aoko Nakamori, Age 22, who was reported missing from the hospital 2 days ago was spotted in New York today by waitress Laura Banks, who was on her way home from work when she spotted Nakamori sitting at a cafe near central park with a man described as tall, medium build with spiked dark brown hair, suspected the same age as Nakamori. Banks called the police but the man and Nakamori ran from the scene and the police quickly lost sight of them. If you see Nakamori or a man fitting the description please don't hesitate to call the police. The man is suspected to be her kidnapper."_

Aoko almost choked on her cracker upon hearing this news. She realised that she had inadvertently dragged Kaito into this whole mess. He was her kidnapper now? What would he think of that? That certainly hadn't been her intention at all. She didn't think the police would make such a big deal out of her disappearance...But then again, it was a rather foolish though seeing as her dad was an inspector. She could only imagine the worry he was going through at the moment. But...She left because...Well, Because of love. People do crazy things when they are in love.

"Aoko!" She jumped 50 feet, scrambling for the remote. Kaito strolled into the kitchen, an odd look on his face.

"Something up? You look a little flushed?" Aoko shook her head, while laughing loudly.

"Nope! Absolutely nothing! All fine here!" Kaito obviously didn't look convinced. Along with the perfect poker face came the ability to read every single expression, to detect every lie. But Kaito wasn't about to pry. It didn't look serious...Whatever it was.

Yetagain as the night drew near and Aoko drifted away, wrapped in the warmth of Kaito's spare bed, Kaito picked his next target. He decided he would target somewhere overseas this time. If he centered his crimes around New York too much the police would certainly begin to suspect him as his first robbery in a long time did coincide with the disappearance of Aoko Nakamori which could lead the police right to them both. He was actually surprised that they hadn't tracked him already as his moving to New York also coincided with the sudden halt in any crime revolving around KID.

Kaito straightened his top hat so it rested at an angle, cloaking his face with a shadow. It was an important part of his disguise. But little slip up that he wasn't even aware he made would finally force him to confront his true feelings. But Kaito remained ingnorant of this one little mistake and slid out of the window.

Aoko woke slowly, lifting her head from the pillow, her tangled hair hanging in front of her eyes. Pushing it back to allow her sight, Aoko crawled out of bed and tiptoed quietly across to her door. As she stumbled around in the darkness of Kaito's living room, her toe brushed a small object which she bent down to inspect. At first, it looked to her like a little black plectrum with a white cross on it, but it wasn't quite the right shape or material. Puzzled at her find, Aoko rotated the plectrum in her hand attempting to figure out what it was...Then it came to her. She saw it. A tall young man silhouetted against the moon, the flash of police car lights reflecting in his monocole, his cloak trailing behind him like a sea foam. And this little black plectrum hung from a cord attached to his monocle. Also blowing in the wind. There was no doubt in Aoko's mind that this man she saw in her memory was the Kaito Kid. But why? Was this find really one of the Kid's possessions? If so, what was it doing on Kaito Kuroba's rug? Aoko pocketed it, went to the toilet and then returned to bed.

He wasn't home when Aoko woke up. Instead of being greeted by Kaito and breakfast, instead all she found was a note.

_Gone for a walk. Back soon_

Kaito

Something about this amazingly brief note made Aoko feel a little uneasy somehow. In a manner she couldn't quite put her finger on. She still had the monocle piece in her pocket.

True to his word, Kaito did return soon. He was carrying a large brown paper bag. Aoko was denied an answer when she enquired as to it's contents.

Aoko still couldn't feel like her and Kaito were completely at ease with one another. Of course these things would take time but Aoko was going to try and speed up the process. While Kaito was locked away in his room doing whatever he was doing, Aoko made a large pot of english tea and a sponge cake out of what little ingredients she could find in Kaito's cupboards. After an hour or so she knocked on his bedroom door.

"Kaito? Can I come in? I have tea and cake." For a second there was silence. Aoko wondered if he was asleep. But he soon answered. He looked a little frazzled and out of breath for some odd reason. Aoko couldn't think of what on earth he would've been doing to leave him in this state.

Kaito's room was rather average. It didn't differ much from her own save for it being a lot wider and also had full length windows unlike her own which only had two small, one beside her bed and the other on the northern wall. Kaito's room also contained an armchair and sofa facing the window. Times Square was visible from his room. When Aoko set the tray down on Kaito's desk, he downed the tea straight away gratefully. Aoko hoped that perhaps the two could sit down and catch up. Kaito made himself comfortable on the sofa and asked Aoko if she wished to join him.

That night Aoko tucked herself into bed with a smug sense of achievement. She and Kaito had really bonded in the last few hours. They had just talked and talked and talked like they used to do. Aoko also felt a special warmness at the bottom of her heart that she had even managed to make him laugh several times and vice versa even though some part of him still seemed far out of her reach. Just a small part. Small enough to ignore. But Aoko didn't want to ignore it. No, She couldn't escape him that easily.

When Aoko rolled over in bed and felt something pointy sticking into her hip, she realised that she still had the monocle piece in her pocket. Aoko slid it out and held in between her forefinger and thumb, twirling it above her head against the dim light above her. This was puzzling. Her first thoughts had been that maybe the Kaito Kid had broken into this house, but she was sure that either her or Kaito would've heard. You don't really miss a thing like that unless he gasbombed them both. Aoko didn't realise she almost passed an hour staring at this little treasure. Finally, when tears of weariness began to gather at the corner of her eyes, Aoko reached across, feeling for the string of her bedside lamp...But then she noticed. The small shadows moving slowly backwards and forwards at the very foot of her door. Someone was out side her room. Quickly, Aoko slid back under the covers and snapped her eyes shut, duvet pulled right up over her nose. The door slid open silently. Footsteps pattered slowly across her floor. Aoko quickly relaxed her facial muscles in an attempt to make it look as if she was actually sleeping. The figure was drawing closer to her, as the darkness only became darker as his shadow was cast across her. Anxiety welling in her stomach, Aoko was almost knawing on her bottom lip in an attempt not to open her eyes. The temptation was almost unbearable. Then she felt a breath running it's way across her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. Then the light brush of skin against her cheek. A kiss. Aoko couldn't take it any longer. Her eyes slowly flickered open. All she saw was the silhouette of a tall cloaked man, none of is facial features visible save for a crescent moon grin which shone almost eerily in the dark.

"KID!" Aoko screamed, her head shooting up from the pillow.

"Kid?"

"He was here! Right here! I saw him!"

"Yes I'm sure he was Aoko...Are you feeling alright?" Aoko blinked. Kaito was staring down at her, in a way that seemed to say that he probably thought that she would be better off in a mental asylum. She looked around, a hand pressed against her cheek. Everything was light again, her bedside lamp still glowing faintly giving the room a warm orange atmosphere, as opposed to the eerie white moonlight that Aoko had previously been basking in.

"Did you kiss me?" Aoko asked. Kaito went bright red.

"What kind of question is that!?" He looked like a flustered schoolboy. "I noticed your light was still on and I thought perhaps you'd left it so I came to turn it off! What's this about Kid?" Aoko deflated a little bit, disappointed.

"So Kid wasn't here?" she touched her cheek again. "That must have been a dream..."

"Dreaming about the Kid kissing you?" Kaito looked very smug in a way Aoko couldn't quite put her finger on. She blushed.

"No..."  
"Whatever you say. Goodnight."

"Night..." Then Kaito left. Aoko was sure of it now. Kaito was Kid.


	8. Think of life as queer

All the evidence just piled up for Aoko. He was Kid. She was sure of it. The monocle, his sudden appearance in her room and the coincidence of her turning up at his house and the theft of the Crystal du Ciel from a jewellery gallery in New York, the very place where he was now living. When Aoko added up the evidence from before her memory loss, it all made sense to her. She remembered how whenever Kaito had a newspaper he would only ever look at Kid related news. He would always smile and chuckle to himself with glee as if the Kid's heists benefitted him in some way, which Aoko never fully understood. And there was an odd air between her, Akako and Kaito whenever the subject of Kaito Kid was broached. Akako would always grin at Kaito and then at her in a way that spoke the words "I know something you don't.". At first Aoko was fearful that there was something between Akako and Kaito, but somehow it didn't seem likely. Besides, he said he was in love with her didn't he? Even though Kaito had pretty much filled in most of her memory gap, there was still several puzzle pieces missing to Aoko, the center of the shrubbery maze being...WHY? Just three letters. W-H-Y.

Tonight after Kaito and Aoko parted ways at their bedroom doors, Aoko did not simply close it behind her, crawl into bed, think for a little, then fall asleep. No, this time she waited until Kaito had closed his door then she crept into his front room and positioned herself in the perfect hiding place. Beneath his glass coffee table. Now to the observer this would seem like a very stupid place to hide seeing as it was made of glass and would provide very little coverage whatsoever but Aoko knew that it would be perfect. Somehow she had a feeling that Kaito would go and check on her before leaving. If he did that would require walking past the living room. He wouldn't see her beneath the coffee table unless he was looking really hard. Not only would it be dark and the coffee table would be hidden at most angles by the sofa, but Aoko had also taken the liberty of arranging several magazines on the glass surface, just in case. It was cold, and Aoko's stomach hurt from bending over so much and frustration but she was determined to see Kaito's true form.

Aoko watched the hands of the clock. Slowly, slowly edging their way around the circle. How long had she been under here now? She had promised herself that by midnight she would give up. But he had to show up before then. Midnight would be the perfect time for the phantom thief to strike. Then she heard a light click. Kaito was coming out of his room at 11:59pm. An expression of delight stretched across her face, Aoko mouthed the word "Yes!" pounding the air with her fist. She saw Kaito's silhouette moving across the carpet towards her room. Now was the time to make her move. Quietly she emerged from her hiding place. Kaito's hand was hovering above her door handle when she spoke up.

"What're you doing up at this hour Kaito?" Kaito froze. He turned to see her stood behind him, her hands on her hips. As they stood, locked in each others harsh stare, Aoko suddenly began to see it all. Everything began to rush back to her. Seeing Kaito stood half shadowed in front of her door, looking saddened, perhaps almost forlorn, brought back everything.

It was the eve of Aoko's birthday, and she couldn't be more excited. She couldn't wait to see Kaito that night. Finally turning 18, Aoko had come to terms with her feelings. She wasn't going to continue to be stuck in that childish state of denial for the rest of her life. She was officially an adult now. She had announced her plans to Keiko who was absolutely thrilled with Aoko, glad that she was finally going to let Kaito know. On her way out of school that day she found something. That one thing, that started all this insanity. The monocle piece lying beneath Kaito's desk, as she had been on cleanup duty that day. At first Aoko had denied these thoughts that it actually belonged to Kaito but then her curiosity began to get the better of her. She snuck into the police station late at night and studied the monocle piece for prints. Being the Inspectors daughter, she knew a few things about forensics. The only fingerprints identified on it were her own. But she knew that a criminal would never touch any of his essential assets without gloves, which she knew very well that the Kid always wore. There was no doubt that this piece belonged to Kaito...or Kid. Aoko lost it. She couldn't believe Kaito would go behind her back for so many years, making a mockery out of her family. Kaito caught her at the exact wrong moment with his confession. Her anger towards him exploded as a result of which she scarred him so deep. Then when she saw a tear run down his cheek at the hostile return of both his confession and the necklace had she realised what she had done. For hours afterwards Aoko called and called, trying to reach Kaito, to tell him how truly sorry she was but every time the only person she managed to contact was a recording informing her that the number she had dialed was no longer available. Then when he moved Aoko fell apart completely. Her only love left her. With Kaito gone, she began to bully Keiko, losing her only best friend, she distanced herself from her father and began to go down a path she had never wished to walk. She trod on others toes, she earned the resentment of everyone around her and why...? Just because of that one little burst of anger that had coincided with her 18th birthday. Everything had gone wrong since then. As Hakuba had told her she had a high powered well paying job and was living large but...She had never been more unhappy in her life. Then she had her accident. Indeed it was true Aoko was hit by a truck when she was younger and suffered a small degree of head damage. But what erased her memory was a recent accident Aoko had been driving home from work in the rain and lost control of the wheel, sending her flying off the road. She survived but the memory between the truck accident and her car accident were completely erased. She found the missing piece. She knew why now she had rejected Kaito, but still she couldn't believe herself. What on earth had been going through her head at the time? She had become someone she never wanted to be. Now she realised that her car accident had not been a misfortune, but a second chance. The Aoko who had rejected Kaito had been banished from her system and she had been given a chance to start again as if someone else had filled in for her for four years and made a very large mess in her kitchen which only now she had come back to clean up with absolutely no knowledge of how it was made.

"Kaito..." she stared a him through the darkness. "I know that you are Kid." He flinched as if she had just raised a hand to slap him. She held up the monocle piece. "And I found this."

"Aoko, I..."

"Don't bother." she lowered her head. "I know now why I rejected you." Although she could not see it Kaito looked purely mortified.

"I found out that you were Kid a long time ago...And I got angry. Really angry...That you were living this double life...So that's why I rejected you." Aoko raised her head again. Kaito could see the moonlight reflected in large tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "But it still wasn't right!" she cried. "I loved you all along and...Nothing I could say could possibly justify why I did the things I did! I don't know what was going through my head at the time! All I have to say to you now is...I'm sorry."

"Aoko..."

"You don't have to accept it, I understand perfectly why you wouldn't. You can say it now. You hate me don't you?"

"I don't--"

"QUIT LYING!" Aoko screamed. "YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO HATE ME! GO ON! SAY IT!"

"I'm telling the truth. I don't hate you."

"BULLSHIT!" This certainly took Kaito by surprise. "I'M LEAVING HERE! YOU WON'T EVER HAVE TO SEE ME AGAIN!"

"AOKO! STOP IT!" Kaito yelled. For a moment there was silence, the only sound being Aoko's heavy breathing a soft sobs. Kaito clenched his fist. The next few moments seemed like a complete blur to Aoko, for suddenly she found herself with her back pressed up against the wall, Kaito's face within centimeteres of hers.

"I tried to hate you. God knows, I tried." Kaito hissed. Aoko's heart began to pound. "But I can't!" Kaito slammed a fist on the wall beside Aoko's head. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "No matter how hard I tried, Even four years later I JUST CAN'T HATE YOU!" Aoko remained silent.

"Do you want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I love you."


	9. Think of it my dear

"Because I love you."

The silence was strong enough to shatter the windows. Kaito's eyes didn't leave hers. Not even for a second. After an eternity, Kaito finally lowered his head, stepping back slightly from Aoko who was frozen like ice, unable to even twitch. Then in one swift moment, in the blink of an eye, Kaito flung his arms around her and tugged her almost violently into an embrace and into a deep kiss, forcing the ability to breath properly straight out of Aoko. She stood completely stationary as Kaito slowly worked his tongue inside her mouth. Aoko savoured the taste. She had longed for it for so long. Despite the harsh initiation of this moment, now Kaito's embrace had become so loving and gentle but at the same time it refused to let her leave. The kiss broke suddenly as Kaito quickly stepped back. He looked purely shocked again.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...I..." He turned his back on her. "I just...I...needed you to hear me out...I mean...that is if...you don't..." Kaito made a sudden dash for his room at the speed of an athlete.

"KAITO!" Aoko cried out, throwing herself after him. Aoko's arms encircled Kaito locking him in place like cement. "Don't go..." she lowered her voice. Kaito had completely tensed up. He wasn't sure but he could've sworn Aoko was shivering. Kaito slowly shrugged away Aoko's arms. He turned to face her, cupping her cheek in his hand lovingly as he drew her face closer to his again. The couple returned to their sweet kiss. Aoko wrapped her arms around Kaito, stood on her tiptoes, clutching the fabric of his shirt as if she had no intention of letting go. Totally oblivious, Aoko did not notice the absence of Kaito's hand around her waist as he reached for the door of his bedroom behind him.

Kaito dragged Aoko down to the sheet's of his bed, securing her in place beneath him. Kaito did not waist a second, slipping the neckline of Aoko's nightgown slowly down to reveal her curved pale shoulders. Arms tightly entwined around Aoko's waist, he lifted her closer to him, his head passing hers as he began to place kisses on the nape of her neck which forced a soft whimper out of Aoko's lips. While he continued to kiss her, he tugged at the hem of her nightgown, removing the garment altogether. Aoko reached for the buttons on Kaito's shirt and began to unfasten them with haste. She slid her hands onto his firm chest as the burning passionate kisses continued. Kaito's hand found its way around the back of Aoko's head, pushing her only deeper into the kiss, his fingers dancing in-between strands of hair. Aoko let out another hot heavy breath as Kaito pulled away, savouring every moment as if this were their last night together and after this they would never see each other again.

"I want you..so much...Aoko..." the words rolled so slowly past Kaito's lips, as he whispered them into her ear.

"Kaito...You know...when you moved here to New York...I never held it against you. I spent so many years blaming myself and..." Aoko was cut off as Kaito crushed his lip against hers in another brief yet intense kiss.

"I never held it against you either..." Kaito slid a hand onto her neck, travelling down her shoulders and around her back to remove her remaining clothes. Kaito's hands searched Aoko's soft skin and the curves of her beautiful figure eagerly, the warm kisses raining, Aoko's hands tangling in amongst Kaito's hair.

Aoko was suddenly seeing a new side of Kaito. She never realised how romantic he could be, that he could ever make her feel such things, how intense the feeling of his heartbeat drumming against hers was. Yet at the same time, he was more like the Kaito Kuroba she remembered than ever. Aoko had never been in love with anyone as much as she loved Kaito now. He was like the whole world to her. She didn't care that he was KID, or what happened in the past. All that mattered was that she was here now, in the heat of Kaito's embrace, and that was the way she was going to stay until the sun began to creep from it's bed to resume it's place in the sky as the moon receded into sleep. Or so Aoko believed at the time. She felt as if nothing could separate them. But, her finally realised romantic dream was about to be snatched away sooner than she expected.

"KAITO KUROBA! THIS IS THE POLICE! OPEN THE DOOR!" Both Aoko and Kaito gasped, exchanging looks of shock before scrambling out of bed to recollect their clothes. The police were loudly hammering on the door.

"Kai-kaito! How did they find us?" Aoko pulled down her nightgown hastily.

"We shouldn't have gone out in public!" He forced his hands through the arms of his shirt. " Shit, I should've seen this coming!"

"Are they--?"

"They're here for you. Not for me. Your father is likely to be among the crowd."

"Kaito, what if they are here for you?"

"They aren't. If they are I don't care." Kaito grasped Aoko's shoulders diving into a kiss. "It's you that I care about." Aoko lost her breath.

"Kai--"

"OPEN THE DOOR THIS INSTANT OR WE WILL BREAK IT DOWN!" The loud banging on the door continued.

"What do we do?" It was too late. The door broke from its hinges and Kaito heard the thundering footsteps of the policemen as the poured into the apartment. Without thinking Kaito cast the duvet over Aoko's head.

"Stay here!" Kaito hissed and left the room with a large slam to greet the police. Aoko remained curled up beneath the bedsheets, listening intensely. Kaito could've been a professional actor. It was all part of the package.

"Ah!" Kaito stumbled across the carpet, a hand in his hair while squinting to make it seem as if he was tired. "What the hell is this all about?" Aoko didn't know that Kaito could speak English.

"Kaito Kuroba!" Inspector Nakamori burst through the crowd, sending the New York police officers flying like paper dolls. "What have you done with my daughter?!" His shaking finger was pointed at Kaito like a large pistol. Kaito ruffled his hair again as he continued to feign weariness and ignorance.

"Ah, Nakamori. Nice to see you. How long has it been?"

"Don't play dumb punk! Where is Aoko?" Aoko held her breath at the mention of her name. She wondered what Kaito would say.

"What? I see you again after all these years and you come in here in the middle of the night, when I'm SLEEPING mind, and accuse me of holding your daughter captive?"

"Kuroba, Aoko was spotted with a man of her age with brown slightly spiked hair, WHO ELSE IS IT GONNA BE?"

"Lots of men look like that..." Suddenly Nakamori lunged and wrenched at Kaito's collar, bringing them face to face. Several of the policemen behind him attempted to reason with the officer, but were shrugged off.

"WHERE IS SHE?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I haven't seen Aoko in 4 years!"

"We know she's here! We have a source!"

"Source!?"

"We were tipped off by a woman named Keiko Momoi." Aoko gasped. How could she? Kaito shared these thoughts...Or something along those lines. His thoughts probably weren't as polite as that. "So give up this little game and give me back my daughter!" Kaito was almost a little frightened. He'd never seen Inspector Nakamori so angry in his life, even on a Kid related matter.

"Please Inspector!" One of the officers pleaded. "He may be innocent." With a loud frustrated grunt, Nakamori released Kaito's colar. Kaito could see fire in his eyes.

"Search the apartment." Nakamori spat. The policemen exchanged plans in English and took off in groups. Of course two of them thundered towards Kaito's bedroom, Nakamori among them. Kaito was beginning to panic. Aoko flinched when she heard the door burst open. Then the footsteps. She held her breath. Suddenly everything burst into light as the duvet was pulled from her head. Aoko let out a cry of shock. As her head ascended she saw first three sets of polished black shoes, then beige trousers, then her fathers expression of utter relief. Somehow she wasn't relieved to see him.

"Aoko!" He bent and pulled his daughter into an embrace. Aoko hesitantly reciprocated his embrace. Quickly, the inspector tugged Aoko to her feet with his hand hooked around her arm as if he had just caught her out past her curfew and was going to take her home. He pointed at Kaito again.

"Place that man under arrest." Aoko wrenched free of her dad.

"No! Kaito!" She stumbled towards him, throwing her arms around his neck. He accepted her in and held her tight. Her father looked as if he was under the impression that Kaito had just pulled her away rather than her leaving by her own free will.

"He didn't kidnap me!" Aoko pleaded. "I came here by myself! Please, he's innocent!" The inspector looked from Kaito to Aoko, Aoko to Kaito and back again with an expression of confusion plastered across his furrowed brow. Aoko stepped forwards, with her arms outstretched. She was asking to be cuffed. "You can arrest me in his place." Nakamori simply shook his head and placed a hand on her arms to lower them.

"I'm not going to do that Aoko."

"Don't arrest him."

"It's clear that your mental state is still fragile..."

"DON'T PATRONIZE ME!" Aoko stomped her foot. "I am PERFECTLY FINE! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT KAITO DID NOTHING WRONG." Nakamori lowered his head.

"Arrest him."

"DAD NO!" Aoko screamed. As the policemen encircled Kaito, she tripped attempting to reach him. Aoko clawed at the carpet as her father held her down to restrain her.

"KAITO!"

"Don't worry about me Aoko." He grinned at her as he was carted out the door. He was putting up no sort of struggle. The tears began to flow down Aoko's cheeks while she continued to pound the carpet with frustration. When he disappeared from sight, Aoko drooped down onto the carpet like a rag doll, breathing heavily. Her father still had his hands clamped on her shoulders.

"Why dad...?" Aoko wept. "Why...? You never listen to me...You never did...Ever."

"Hey just listen..."

"No you listen!" Aoko's voice turned sour. "Every time...Even when I was a kid, all I ever saw was your back! YOU NEVER LISTEN!" This struck him speechless. Aoko gradually slid up from the carpet and onto her knee's.

"I even left you a note...saying tat I'd gone looking for Kaito...but you assumed I was kidnapped...Writing, talking....It's all the same. I might as well be talking to a brick wall..." The waterworks started again. "I...love Kaito...I love him so much..." Aoko wept as her father lead her out of the apartment, with his coat over her shoulders. She was still barefooted as they walked out into the streets just in time to see Kaito being escorted away in a police van. Without another word, Aoko climbed into the taxi as it drove away.

* * *

**A/N: Just in case, No this isn't the last chapter ^_^**


	10. He's distressed and I forget

The ice tainted rain slid down the window of the taxi and over Aoko's expression, distorting and morphing it, dashing pieces away with the trickling water. Aoko stared at the girl who rested her head against the glass with a blank stare on her tired and pale face. Who was this girl? Only now did it occur to Aoko she hadn't looked in the mirror once since she had awoken and right now she had caught herself at her worst moment. Aoko could tell that normally she would be relatively attractive, but now she looked as if she was about to be sick. Beneath her eyes were thick black shadows which clashed with her green white skin. Her eyes were completely blank and emotionless and shadowed by her strands of hair that would refuse to stay in place. She almost looked slightly deranged, like a traumatized mental patient, something which she was not short of currently. Aoko had not spoken a word to her father since they had got into the car. He didn't look as if he was about to start a conversation.

Aoko had a huge lump in her throat. She had no idea what would happen to Kaito. She knew that the police would never catch him…Would they? He was the Kaito Kid. The vivid image him being carted out the door played over and over in her head. All he had to say was "Don't worry about me Aoko." And he was smiling. Somehow it reassured her a little. Maybe he had planned for this all along. She tried to laugh and think that Kaito would use one of his clever tricks to elude the police but no laughter would come. Every emotion short of happiness was beyond Aoko. All she wanted to do was cry. No matter how many times she told herself that he would be okay she couldn't convince herself. She felt like she was at a friends house crying over a lost boyfriend and her friend was shouting at her for being so pathetic but it wasn't going in anywhere. Losing Kaito didn't feel like losing a "boyfriend". Aoko wouldn't even of called him a boyfriend. No he was much more than that. Losing him felt like losing a limb. He had been her best friend since that day she was waiting by the clock tower. No amount of head damage could erase that from her mind.

"_You're waiting for someone?"_

"_Yeah, I'm waiting for my Dad…But he's been really busy with work recently…" Kaito extended a hand and out from in between his forefinger and his thumb popped a single red rose_

"_Here. I'm Kuroba Kaito. Nice to meet you."_

That almost pushed Aoko over the edge. But she wasn't going to cry. He wouldn't want her to. She really didn't want to be in a taxi, on the way to the airport. Surely her father wasn't laboring on the mistaken idea that he was doing her a favour by returning her home? If he was, Aoko had more or less lost all respect for him. Aoko closed her eyes, and let out a long dreary sigh as she climbed through the windows of her imagination, from the melancholic black emptiness of the taxi, past soft translucent pink curtains into the glowing pastel coloured room which was her own. Her room as she remembered it as a teenager. Kaito smiled at her as she climbed onto the checkered thick duvet of her bed and rested her head on his lap, while he stroked her hair, like a fond childhood pet. She reached, her fingers running down his cheek. Aoko almost cried when she remembered that this wasn't reality.

"_I don't want to leave you Kaito." _she wept.

"_I'm here Aoko, I'll always be here."_

"_What's going to happen you?" _His face drew closer to hers, the tips of strands of his chestnut hair brushing the edges of her face as he kissed her.

"_I'll be fine. I always am, right?" _With an enigmatic and mischievous grin, he winked at her. Aoko's fantasy crumbled around her as her father placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's time to go Aoko." Aoko stumbled out of the car, her feet stung by the icy concrete, as she had not had time to put on her shoes. She stood, clutching the bag of clothes Hakuba bought her behind her father as he checked into the airport side hotel.

Airports which had hotels neighbouring them at travellers convenience were usually minimalistic on luxuries but were cosy enough for the evening. This one was both. Aoko's father simply parted ways at her hotel room door with her so coldly and mechanically, like he hadn't spoken with her in years and they were still warming to one another. For all she knew, that could be true. So Aoko lay now in the warm crimson light of her hotel room with her eyes affixed blankly to the off-cream ceiling. She gripped the duvet that covered all below her nose and closed her eyes. She felt smug. A child so warm and secure in her bed. But then she felt sympathy for those who were outside. Maybe some of them wouldn't reach this warmth. And what about Kaito? Where was he right now? Still in the police car, his wrists bound by silver cuffs? Or rotting away emotionally in a cold damp prison cell? Or just sitting in the waiting room at a police station? Wherever he was, Aoko wished that he could be warm like her. What time was it? This room didn't have a clock. Aoko was already way off into dreamland before she even realized that she'd fallen asleep.

"...ko..."

"Aoko..."

"AOKO!" Aoko woke with a start. A silhouette loomed above her. As her vision corrected, his face became clear. It was Kaito. No...Kaito Kid. Aoko blinked. He was still there. She rubbed her eyes. He was still there.

"KAITO!" Aoko jumped forwards, almost sending Kaito crashing to the floor as she squeezed him like a stuffed toy.

"Ack...Air..." Kaito wheezed.

"Sorry..." Aoko removed her arms hastily. His moonlight cape fluttered in the breeze of the open window behind him. He smiled at her and bowed, placing a kiss on her hand, in his normal gentlemanly manner. Aoko blushed.

"How...did you get here?" She whispered in an almost urgent tone.

"I left the police with a decoy. They probably don't even know that I'm gone." Aoko grinned warmly at the mysterious figure in the night.

"You are full of surprises aren't you?" Her hand slid up his blood red tie, which she tugged gently, bringing Kaito closer to her. He slid his hands onto her cheeks as they sunk deep into a kiss. Their lips separated, allowing Aoko to look the phantom thief in the eye which she did so lovingly as he stroked the side of her head, running his hands through her hair.

"Aoko listen..."

"Hm?"

"I came here tonight to say...I have to go." Aoko's heart lurched.

"You have to go?"

"The police know that I'm Kid." Stunned, Aoko flapped her lips like a goldfish as her mind scanned the eternal list of everything he could say next.

"You're leaving?" Aoko whimpered.

"Now that they know that Kaito Kuroba is Kid, I can never stay in one place. They'll catch me."

"So...You're running from the law...?" Kaito cringed when he saw the tears welling. How many times had he seen her cry since she walked back into his life?

"I'm sorry Aoko. This is my final goodbye..." He leant forwards and gave Aoko another long tender kiss before strolling slowly towards the open window. His hand resting on the frame, he hesitated for a minute. He could hear Aoko's sobs just barely above the gentle cry of the wind.

"Just remember...No matter where I am I'll always be thinking about you. I love you."

"Kaito...Please...Don't go...Please don't leave me..." Aoko whimpered, the tear drops pouring onto her hands that clenched the bedsheets. Kaito let out a long sigh. Saying goodbye was never an easy thing to do.

"I may...see you again one day..." Aoko let out another heavy sob.

"Kaito..."

"Goodbye Aoko." Aoko raised her head suddenly. He was leaving her again. She knew if she let him climb out that window she would never see him again.

"DON'T GO!" Aoko wailed as she stumbled across the carpet. She lunged and locked her hand firmly on Kaito's cape. Her expression was one of heartbreak mixed with stubbornness as she clenched the white fabric hard enough to tear through and leave her palm covered in blood. Kaito didn't say anything. He simply tried his hardest to maintain is poker face while the two stood frozen in the night like statues.

"Don't go..." Aoko repeated. This time her voice adopted a more comanding tone, that of and order rather than a request. "I don't want you to go." Aoko was surprised at herself. She sounded like a spoilt brat.

"I don't have a choice."

"Then take me with you." Kaito glanced back at Aoko. Her expression was totally serious. "I'll follow you anywhere." Kaito slowly lowered his hand from the window frame and placed it on her shoulder.

"You'd never be able to live a normal life if I did that..."

"I don't care!" Aoko clenched her fists. Kaito felt her body shaking beneath his hand, all her muscles tensing up.

"I'm sorry but..." Aoko heard only the swishing of liquid in a glass bottle before a cloth was clamped over her mouth. An acidic odour began to fill her nostrils and her lungs as Kaito held the cloth in place. Her vision blurred.

"I love you."

The last thing she saw was Kaito's silhouette clasping the cloth in one hand and a short rounded pitch black bottle in the other.

_Chloroform...Damn you Kaito..._

Her head collided with the sheets. Out cold.


	11. I don't want to know cause I forget

The sheets of Aoko's bed began to come into focus. The light from outside bore into Aoko's weary eyes mercilessly as her eyelids lifted. Aoko released a muffled groan and slid deeper into her bed, pulling the quilt up to her nose. She felt strange. She was sure something had disrupted her sleep. Something just wasn't quite right. Like times when you wake up in the night and recollect your pillow which you knocked on the floor in your sleep and in the morning you cannot remember whether it really happened or you just dreamt it. Aoko was sure that something important had happened but she couldn't remember what. Then it came to her, the silhouette, the cloth, the bottle...Aoko sat bolt upright...and burst into tears. She was shocked at how quickly they came. Someone just turned on the tap and out they came, gushing down her cheeks. Aoko was sure they would just stop all together eventually if she continued like this. She knew that he would never see Kaito again.

-+-+-+-+-

The flight back to Tokyo was...well Aoko could think of no other word to describe it than...awkward. Her father hadn't said a word to her for a whole 14 or so hours. She hadn't realised quite how bad things had gotten between father and daughter during her...absence of sorts. Regardless, Aoko's room when she reached her old home was a welcoming sight. Despite being such a high powered business woman as everyone had told her she was, she was surprised to find she was still living with her father. The house hadn't changed much and neither had her room. Aoko was overjoyed to see all her stuffed animals were in place and intact on her shelf. The only thing different about the room, save for the stuffed animals, was it looked a little more mature than before. That might have been an odd word to describe a bedroom but it did. Less like the room of a teenage girl and more like the room of an adult. All her hand crafted Anti-Kid posters were missing which Aoko found a little strange. And then there were some photos that she never remembered taking part in all framed in light blue coloured wood, lined up neatly on her wall. There was one of her in a business suit looking particular grown up with her lips painted ruby, surrounded by classy looking women who all looked so wooden. Sure they were posed like party animals, grins on their faces, raised champagne glasses...but Aoko could tell it was such a fake, a facade. It was so controlled. Aoko didn't even know who these women were. She assumed they were her coworkers at whatever company she worked for. There was another, this one in black and white of her sitting a bar with an absent minded blank stare on her face, a martini in her hand. It was signed by a man whos name she certainly didn't recognise. There were so many others. Pictures of people she'd never met, places she'd never been to, things she'd never done. This new selection of photographs on Aoko's wall almost disturbed her a little. None of them were her. Before she even realised her own actions, the photo's all claimed residence in the flower print wastepaper bin beside her desk. Save for one. This photograph wasn't framed or even laminated, it was just printed off the computer on copy paper...But it was of her, the pre-memory wipe her...Smiling and flashing a piece sign, while linking arms with a happily smiling Keiko. Kaito was stood behind her, grinning mischievously with a hand on her shoulder while Hakuba stood behind them in the background, hands in his pockets with his normal "charming gentleman" smile. It was the only photo which reflected the real her. She tried to ignore the agonising pain in her heart when she looked at Kaito's face.

So was this how the epic tale of the amnesiac who ran away from home to find her lost love was going to end? He was just going to slip into the fabric of society and make himself invisible from the law while she sat by the window waiting for him alone? Aoko refused to believe that! She had already crossed the world for his sake, who's to say she wouldn't do it again? But she was weary now from jetlag and everything else that had gone on around her. Maybe this chapter of her life had ended ultimately in heartbreak but it was one hell of a ride wasn't it? This was a journey of self discovery for her. RE Self discovery. Truly finding out who she was. And she had made some friends and enemies along the way. What more could she ask for? Aoko glanced at the picture of Kaito sellotaped to her wall and deep down somewhere told her that she'd see him again one day.

* * *

**Well there it is. The End. I suppose it's a little sad but don't worry! I'm sure they will be reunited one day!**


End file.
